Masquerade
by RedBeautySkimmonsFTW
Summary: Lincoln makes Lexa going to a masquerade party so she can finally hold a conversation with dream girl Clarke Griffin...
"Earth to Lexa."

Lexa blinked at the sound of Lincoln's voice. Her jaw clenched, shifting from side to side. She returned her attention to the sandwich sitting on the table in front of her. She tore bits of it off and tossed it into her mouth. She didn't even have to look at him to know there was a smug grin on his face. That he was giving her that knowing look. His eyebrow raised. His lip curled in the corner in an obnoxious smirk.

"Shut up." She muttered as she chewed. Her green eyes remained on her food.

Lincoln released a huff of a chuckle. He placed his hand flat on the table, tugging at her bag until she raised her eyes to meet his. "Ask her out."

Lexa scoffed causing her shoulders to raise then drop. "Yeah, right."

Lincoln mimicked her scoff, drawing his brow together in the process. "Why not?"

Lexa made a face. "I've barely been able to speak to her and you want me to ask her on a date?" She blew out a breath and shook her head. "It's not going to happen."

"You crack me up, Lexa." He shook his head and returned his attention to his meal. He poked his plastic fork at the mac and cheese.

Her brow knitted together causing a crease between her eyebrows. "What do you mean by that?"

Lincoln cleared his throat and tossed the fork down. He slapped his hands together, wiping them against one another. "When you're on stage in a debate, you are the most confident person in the school. Making clear points and arguments. Like a boss, you know?" He crossed his arms against his chest. "But, when it comes to Clarke Griffin." He huffed and shook his head once again. "You are an incoherent pile of goo."

Lexa's jaw slacked and she released an offended noise. "I am no such thing!"

"Ha!"

"Lincoln, I swear one day I'm going to- "

"Hey guys."

The conversation stopped as they both turned to the owner of the voice. Octavia Blake stood beside them with a smile on her face. She turned her attention to Lincoln and he sat up straighter, his smile broader. Lexa rolled her eyes and took another piece of her sandwich.

"Hey, Octavia." Lincoln greeted, ignoring the feeling of Lexa watching him.

Lexa was. A half smirk on her lips. Lincoln always seemed to be flexing whenever Octavia came around. He had the nerve to talk about her reaction to Clarke Griffin when he acted like a peacock at the sight of the beautiful brunette.

Her smile spread further across her lips as her green eyes focused solely on him. "Clarke's parents are out of town and we were going to throw a little…" She paused, chuckling at herself. "A big party." She corrected, flexing her hands out in front of her. "To celebrate."

Lexa turned to Octavia with a questioning stare. "To celebrate what?"

Octavia turned to her. If it was even possible for her smile to grow wider, it had. "The weekend." She wrinkled her nose as her gaze shifted from Lexa to Lincoln. "You two want to come?"

Lexa felt her breath catch immediately at the question. Her stomach clenched and her heart jumped quickly inside her chest. A party? At Clarke Griffin's house? No, there was absolutely no way she was going to do this. Her mouth opened, prepared to offer her apologies for not being able to attended.

It was Lincoln's voice that came tumbling out.

"That sounds awesome. We'd love to." He answered, keeping his attention on Octavia. He knew Lexa was going to be pissed but she needed this push. And he needed some time alone with Octavia.

Lexa's attention snapped in Lincoln's direction. She glared at the side of his face as he refused to make eye contact with her. The sound of hands clapping together and a happy squeal broke her stare. She turned to Octavia again, her eyes a bit wider as she watched the girl reach out and touch Lincoln's arm.

"It's Saturday night." She reached out and lightly squeezed Lexa's shoulder with her free hand. "Eight o'clock. Don't be late." She squeezed them both one more time then turned to hurry off. The girl paused turning on her heels to face them as she pointed in their direction. "Oh, it's a neon masquerade party…."

Lexa looked confused. "A neon masquerade party?"

Octavia nodded excited.

"What exactly does that entail?" Lexa questioned, a sarcastic tone in her voice. When Lincoln kicked her under the table, she shot him a quick glare then returned her attention to Octavia for the explanation.

"Neon balloons, decorations, all kinds of cool stuff." She snapped her fingers, pointing at them. "And make sure you have some kind of neon coloring on your outfit." She grinned and winked at them. "Also, don't forget to wear a mask and something hot..." Her teeth pressed into her bottom lip as she locked eyes with Lincoln. "See you then." With that, she was gone.

When she returned to the other side of the cafeteria to join Clarke and her other friend, Raven Reyes, Lexa turned her attention to Lincoln. Her hand banged on the table causing it to shake. "Lincoln." She scolded as he turned to her and chuckled.

"Oh, relax." He shifted in his chair then clasped his hands together in front of himself. "This is your chance." He smiled broadly. "Masquerade party. The lighting will be super dim. Your face will be covered. She won't even know it's you." He unclasped his hands and touched hers, laughing harder when she quickly pulled away. "This is just the little cover you need to finally have a full on conversation with your dream girl." He motioned his thumb toward Clarke.

Lexa followed his motion. Her eyes widened when they suddenly caught the blue staring in her direction. A small, welcoming smile played on Clarke's lips as she raised her hand in a short wave. Lexa swallowed so hard she could feel her throat bob against the skin on her neck. Her lips parted and she stuttered a few words before turning away.

Lincoln furrowed his brow and glanced in Clarke's direction. He watched as her features saddened and she pouted, her body rising then falling in a soft sigh. She pressed her teeth into the corner of her lip, her gaze dropping as she returned to her conversation with her friends.

The realization hit Lincoln and he turned his attention to Lexa. "We are going to the mall after school."

Lexa opened her mouth to protest but was immediately stopped by Lincoln raising his finger.

"I don't want to hear it." He stood from the chair and grabbed his tray. "We are going to that party."

"Lincoln…." Lexa sighed as she gathered her things and rose from her seat.

"I have a plan, Commander." He teased, using the nickname created by her debate team. He motioned his chin toward the exit. "Come on. We're going to be late for class."

Lexa pouted as she released an exasperated exhale and followed after her friend….

* * *

"I look stupid."

"You look hot."

Lincoln fiddled with her hood, bringing it further down. Small braids of hair peaked out of the bottom and her black mask brought contrast to her features, making her green eyes bright and bold. The neon green and orange paint he had spread across her face and mask covered any hint of Lexa. He ran his hands down her hoodie, spreading the paint on the black material. When Lexa gasped, he placed his finger over her mouth and shushed her.

"Your outfit is perfect… if I do say so myself."

Lexa rolled her eyes and shifted uncomfortably before him on the sidewalk in front of the Griffin house. She could hear the music and laughter pouring out of the cracks in the windows and door. Her boot clad feet shifted as she reached down to tug at the back pocket of her black, paint stained pants.

"These things are uncomfortable." She grumbled as he reached out and grabbed her wrists, steading her hands at her side.

"Stop." He ordered, firmly as he continued to study her.

The black sleeveless hoodie fit her form perfectly. Her tattoo, the one only he knew about because, God forbid, Mama and Papa Woods saw the illegal ink embedded in their precious daughter's arm. It also gave the illusion of her being someone else. Someone Clarke had never met.

"You're going to knock her off her feet." Lincoln stated with a half smirk. He slipped his own mask onto his face.

"She'll barely be able to see me." Lexa shot him a look. "And that neon arrow on your head is not going to hide you at all." She raised her finger and turned it in a circle around his face. "Octavia is going to spot you in a second."

His smirk was crooked and twisted upward. "That's the point." He shrugged his shoulder. "I'm not the one who's trying to hide." He nudged Lexa and she pushed him away causing him to laugh. A serious expression crossed his face as he waved his hands up and down in front of himself. "Deep breath. Commander mode activated." He teased, earning another shove in the process.

"I hate you." She muttered as they made their way toward the house.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "You love me."

Lexa scoffed and rolled her eyes. "That's a no."

Lincoln laughed as they crossed the threshold into the crowd. The music echoed off the walls and the crowd of teenagers filled in every inch of space. Every inch of the room was illuminated with black lights and neon flashes. They excused themselves, stepping around masked, brightly colored teenagers. Lincoln stopped in the center of the room and Lexa watched him as he scanned the crowd. She assumed he was looking for Octavia but when the sly expression crossed his face, she knew she was wrong. Her eyes narrowed, trying to clear the darkness, and find a place to hide so she could save herself from the embarrassment of talking to Clarke.

"There she is." He said, motioning his head toward the kitchen.

Lexa followed his movement and her heart stopped. It figures Clarke would be in the brightest part of the house. The place where you could clearly see her laughing while she talked to her friend Raven. The way her white dress with swirls of bright blue wrapped around her body. The different shades blending perfectly into the material and probably looked amazing under the lights. Her hands were clasped around a drink and her mask was just as blue as the eyes behind it.

She watched her for a long moment. The way her smile lit up her face. The way her eyes danced and sparkled as she intently listened to her friend speak. Clarke was beautiful. She was talented. She was perfect.

They were joined by Anya, Raven's girlfriend. She was older, in college, yet still seemed to feel completely at ease at a high school party. She wrapped her arm around Raven's waist, kissing her cheek then saying a few words to Clarke. The blonde smiled, waved her hand, and nodded. Within seconds of her response, Anya was whisking Raven away through the crowd and out toward the backyard.

Clarke tucked her hair behind her ear. She took a step out of the kitchen to return to the party. The second the black light hit her, Lexa felt her heart stop. The lights enhanced her dress and her eyes… those amazing eyes. The blonde looked around as if she was searching for something. Lexa tilted her head and watched her curiously. Clarke pressed her teeth into her bottom lip. Her smile seemed to fade and a look of disappointment crossed her features. She ran her hand through her hair and walked back into the kitchen.

"Go." Lincoln ordered, pushing Lexa forward. "She's alone. Go talk to her." Her waved his hands to usher her away.

Lexa took in a deep breath and slowly released it. She swallowed hard as her fist clenched at her side. She could feel the butterflies taking over her stomach and scratching at her insides. Her arms were tingling so much that her hands were going numb.

"Lexa." Lincoln scolded, giving her a flat stare.

Lexa raised her hands in defense. "I'm going. I'm going." She said, exasperated as her jaw twitched and, with just a brief moment of hesitation, made her way to the kitchen.

Made her way to Clarke.

* * *

Lexa could feel her chest rising and falling.

She was only a few inches from the entrance when she paused. Her heart was thumping in her chest. It felt like a rapid drum beat that filled her ears and bottomed out her stomach. She took in a deep breath trying to calm her nerves but it was impossible. She couldn't do this. There was no way she could talk to Clarke.

The last time she was breathing this heavily, Lincoln was trying to beat her in a game of one on one. Her heart was pounding and there was a lump in her throat that wouldn't disappear no matter how hard she swallowed. There were only a few more steps between her and the kitchen. A wave of anxiousness hit her causing her to stop.

This was a high school party, right? Someone had to find an access to alcohol.

She pulled her attention from the kitchen and searched. Her body released a bit of tension when she saw Jasper standing behind a table, pouring drinks into red solo cups. She breathed a sigh of relief and made a b-line toward the dark haired boy.

"Hey! Want a drink?"

"Yes." Lexa responded, raising her voice to be heard over the thump of the music. The conversations going on around her were no help. "Several."

"That's what I'm talking about!" Jasper exclaimed, winking at her. Her started to pour different liquids in the cup.

"Make me one too, Jasper!"

Lexa could hear her as clear as day. Even over the chaos and noise surrounding them, she could hear Clarke. She ducked her head forward, her hand raising to pull the top of her hoodie further down. A soft hand touching her arm caused her eyes to close involuntarily.

"This is beautiful." Clarke complimented, her voice raised to be heard.

Her fingers traced the tattoo etched into her skin and Lexa tried not to shiver at the touch. Her eyes remained closed as she breathed in through her nose. Her lips pursed as she blew out a breath trying to calm her nerves.

Her throat was dry and she wished Jasper would hurry up with the drinks. She swallowed hard and spoke. "Thank you."

Lexa titled her head slightly, watching Clarke as she waited patiently for Jasper to finish. Her hands were clasped together in front of herself and bounced on her heels. Lexa's focused shifted to the mask that covered Clarke's eyes.

"Your mask is beautiful." Lexa said, shoving her hands into the pockets of her hoodie.

Clarke smiled at the admiring comment. Her teeth were insanely white under the lights. "Thank you." Her hand raised and she touched the edge of the mask, adjusting it on her face. "I got bored and painted it myself."

Lexa cleared her throat in an attempt to keep her tone even and steady. "Well, you're very talented."

Clarke's smile widened. "Again, thank you." She turned so she was fully facing Lexa. Her hand extended and she wiggled her fingers. "I'm Clarke."

Lexa shifted her gaze downward and slowly slipped her hand into Clarke's. She could feel the spark the second their palms touched. The entire time a reminder to breath played over and over again in her mind.

"Yes, I know." Lexa responded, a nervous twitch of a smile tugged at her lips. "Who doesn't know Clarke Griffin?"

The smile that Lexa always noticed from across the cafeteria formed on Clarke's lips. Lexa was caught her gaze for longer then she expected, holding her hand for even longer than that. She abruptly pulled away, her fingers lightly brushing against Clarke's palm.

Clarke made a face and blew out a breath. "You make it sound like I'm some sort of Goddess."

Lexa opened her mouth then quickly closed it. She refused to allow her heart to speak without her minds consent. "You're just well know, that's all."

Clarke scrunched her nose and shrugged. Her eyes shifted up and down as she took in Lexa's appearance. It was obvious she was still trying to place her but couldn't. Lexa silently thanked Lincoln for being such a genius at camouflage. She watched Clarke's eyes trail up and down before meeting her green ones once again.

"And you are…?"

Lexa narrowed her eyes and tilted her head slightly. The tiniest spark of Commander surged through her and she took the moment not to waste it. "I thought the purpose of a masquerade party was ambiguity?"

Clarke laughed at her words and Lexa made a mental note of how much she wanted to hear that sound again. "Touché."

"Okay, you're gonna love this!" Jasper promised, placing a cup in each girl's hand. He raised his cup and grinned. "To the weekend!"

Clarke and Lexa exchanged a glance. The blonde shrugged and tapped her cup against Lexa's. "To the weekend." They said in unison, smiling at the coincidence.

The three drank quickly placing the cups roughly back down on the table. Jasper shouted loudly, raising his hands in the air and earning a shout from the people around them.

Lexa shuttered and made a face. "Ugh, that was disgusting!"

Clarke's face scrunched in agreement. "Agreed!" She stuck out her tongue and grimaced. "So bad."

"Want another one?" Jasper asked, looking from one girl to the other.

Once again, Clarke caught Lexa's eyes. Their gazes locked for a moment. Clarke nudged her with an adorable smirk. It was strange how Lexa could read her so clearly. Just one look and she knew what Clarke was thinking. She nodded and the blonde turned to Jasper.

"Okay, bud, two more!" She ordered, giving him a high five and earning a whoop from Jasper.

Lex rolled her eyes and shook her head. She could feel the drink coursing through her veins, warming her from the inside. Her body relaxed and she came to terms with her situation. She was drinking with Clarke. She was talking to Clarke.

Clarke handed her the second drink. "Ready for more gross?"

Lexa scrunched her nose and took the cup. "As ready as one can be."

Clarke clinked their cups again and they both downed their drinks…

* * *

Lexa was amazed at how easy it was to talk to Clarke after a few drinks.

They hadn't moved from their spot by Jasper's table. They even suffered through a third serving of his disaster of a drink. They chatted about the most random things. Their high school. The ridiculous social order the party was splitting itself into. Lexa listened most of the time as Clarke pointed out different people and explained how she barely knew them. She blamed Octavia for the guest list but a small pout formed on her lips when she proclaimed it.

Lexa furrowed her brow. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Clarke's brow was knitted tightly together as she shook her head. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine… I just…" Her sentence paused as her eyes locked on a couple walking in their direction.

Lexa followed her line of sight and held her gasp. Lincoln and Octavia were walking toward them. Her arm linked through Lincoln's as they held a close conversation. Lexa wasn't worried about Lincoln. She knew he wouldn't say anything. It was Octavia that gave her pause. What if she recognized her?

Lincoln caught Lexa's eyes from his peripheral vision and raised his hand. He pointed and guided Octavia in a different direction. Lexa relaxed, releasing a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Her focused returned to Clarke who seemed to deflate once the couple disappeared. Her perfect lips turned downward and she closed her eyes, gripping the cup in her hands.

"Fuck…" She breathed, placing the cup back down on the table.

"Seriously, is everything okay?" Lexa asked, again as she placed her cup down as well. Her hands returning to the pockets of her hoodie.

Clarke waved her hand. "Yeah... it's just… well…" She stammered before releasing an exasperated sigh. "I was hoping this girl would show up tonight."

"Oh…." Lexa breathed, all hope of where this evening might lead leaving her body.

"I don't know why I thought she would show up..." Clarke continued as if she didn't notice the thick sound of disappointment in Lexa's tone. "I can barely get her to say two words to me…" She shook her head and huffed. "Did I actually think she was going to come to my party?"

Lexa clenched her teeth causing her jaw to twitch. She knew Clarke's question was rhetorical so she did her best not to answer and ask one of her own instead. "Did you invite her?"

Clarke shook her head no. "I asked Octavia to do it." She kept her attention on the crowd. It was apparent she was still hoping the girl was out there somewhere. "She won't talk to me. If I come near her, she finds a way to distract herself and walk away from me." Her mouth tilted into a fond smile. "It's actually pretty cute."

Another wave of disappointment washed over Lexa. She felt like she should excuse herself. To pull away before her heart crumbled completely. But, this was the only time she had been able to be this close to Clarke. To talk to her without feeling like she was going to melt into a puddle and disappear.

"You really like her huh?"

Clarke breathed in and nodded.

"She's lucky."

Clarke slowly turned her attention to Lexa. "You're sweet." She replied, reaching out and brushing her fingers casually against Lexa's arm.

Lexa did her best to control the shiver at the contact. She swallowed hard then cleared her throat. "Does she know?"

Clarke shook her head.

"If you don't mind me asking…" Lexa hesitated for just a moment.

Did she really want to know more about this? Why would she want to know about the girl who has what she wants? Clarke's affection. Her attention. Everything that Lexa wanted and needed, this unsuspecting girl had if she wanted it.

"Who is she?" She finished, the words tumbling from her mouth before she could stop them.

"You probably don't know her." Clarke explained, picking her cup back up. She looked inside the cup, debating on suffering through the taste again, before wrinkling her nose and putting it back down. "She's really shy… well, like I said, around me anyway." She made a noise and half rolled her eyes. "It's crazy that she is."

Lexa raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"

"Because I've seen her when she's not around me." Clarke closed her eyes and muttered a curse to herself. "God, I just realized how stalkerish that sounded." She chuckled and placed her hand over her face.

Lexa couldn't help but release a breathy laugh at the look of embarrassment on Clarke's face. The faint blush apparent when she removed her hand. "So, where have you stalked her?" Lexa teased, earning a hard nudge.

Clarke shot her a mock glare and crossed her arms against her chest. "Okay, promise not to laugh?"

Lexa crossed her heart and nodded.

Clarke tucked her hair behind her ear, a bashful expression covering her features. "Well, she's on the debate team." She bounced her head from side to side. "Actually, she's captain of the debate team."

"Captain of the debate team?" Lexa questioned, confusion over taking her once again. "But, I…" Her words stopped short and her eyes widened behind her mask. There was absolutely no way this was happening right now.

Clarke continued to speak, again not registering Lexa's words. "Yeah. She's ridiculously smart." The blush returned to her cheeks and she shuffled her feet. I made Octavia and Raven go to one of her debates with me." She confessed, keeping her gaze away from Lexa's eyes. It was almost like she felt like she was about to be judged. "I just wanted to see her in action, you know? We sat in the far back. I could barely hear her but I could see her." Her eyes sparkled dreamily. "She was so passionate and commanding. It was…" She pressed her teeth into her bottom lip. "She's beautiful." Her body seemed to deflate as she scanned the party once again. "I really wanted to get the chance to talk to her. That's why it sucks that she's not here."

Lexa stared at her, stunned by the confession. Clarke liked her. This whole time, Clarke wanted exactly what she wanted.

"That's her best friend." Clarke's voice cut through her thoughts.

Lexa followed the motion of her chin. Lincoln was standing over Octavia, smiling down at the gorgeous brunette. Her hand wrapped around the front of his white shirt as she rocked him back and forth. She laughed when he spoke and his smile lit up his entire face.

"I thought if he showed up, she definitely would."

Lexa swallowed back the lump in her throat. She breathed in the courage that was coursing through her at the knowledge that her feelings were not one sided. She couldn't lose this moment. She had to seize it.

"Hey, would you like to go outside?" Lexa asked, turning her body so she was facing Clarke fully. She turned slightly, motioning toward the sliding glass doors behind her. "Get some air." She reached out and tugged lightly on Clarke's fingers. "You can tell me more about this perfect girl."

Clarke smirked. "I never said that she was perfect." She shrugged her shoulder. "I mean she is but…" A small giggle escaped her throat and she pointed at their cups. "Should we bring our drinks?"

Lexa wrinkled her nose causing her mask to slip up a bit. It settled back into its regular position when her face relaxed. "Oh God no." She waved her hand and made a disgusted noise. "We can grab something different on our way out, if you'd like?"

"Raven did strategically place coolers in different corners of the room." Clarke noted, with a grin. She waved her hand for Lexa to lead the way. "After you."

Lexa shook her head and waved her hand. "No, please, after you." She requested as Clarke flashed her adorable small smile, ducked her head, and walked in front of Lexa.

The brunette took in a deep breath and followed behind her, watching closely as Clarke grabbed two bottles from a nearby cooler and walked through the sliding glass doors….

* * *

They had moved away from the party. Away from the loud music and the insentient chatter of their classmates. Clarke had a large backyard. There was a pool and an array of lounge chairs resting on top of a concrete circle.

They chose to stand rather than sit.

Lexa was grateful for that. She feared that if she sat down, her legs would bounce and she would fidget uncontrollably. Instead, she opted for tearing pieces of the label off of the bottle in her hands. Her eyes shifted from the pool to Clarke then back to the pool.

"What would you have said to her?" Lexa asked, breaking the silence.

Clarke sighed and shrugged. "I don't know." She admitted, taking a sip from her drink.

Lexa tugged on the front of her hood, anxiously trying to cover her face. It was much brighter by the pool then it was inside. "You had to have some sort of plan." She glanced at Clarke again then quickly diverted her eyes. "You extended an invitation through a third party. That's planning." The amused tone vibrated through her words as she relaxed further into what was going on between them.

Clarke laughed and shook her head. "You're absolutely right." She held the bottle against her chin and blew into it, making a whistling noise. "I thought I would start by saying hi."

Lexa nodded. "Hi is always a good start."

Clarke nodded several times. "It is."

Lexa closed her eyes, her jaw clenching as she leaned down and placed the bottle on the floor. She turned so she was facing Clarke. Her heart was beating so fast and so loud, she could have sworn it was what caused Clarke to turn and meet her eyes. The blonde tilted her head as her eyes narrowed. She studied Lexa curiously as she brunette raised her hands and slowly pulled off her hood. Blue eyes widened as Lexa gripped the corner of her mask and tugged it downward so it hung loosely around her neck.

Lexa heard Clarke choke on her words and she gave her a bashful smirk. "Hi." She greeted, her tone soft and nervous.

Clarke stammered over several responses. Her mouth opening and closing before she simply croaked a noise. She cleared her throat and gathered her composure, a smile slipping onto her lips. "Hi." She returned, her hand raising. "It's you."

Lexa's hands slapped lightly against her side. "It's me."

"Why didn't…" Clarke stumbled but quickly regained her senses. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Like you said…" Lexa fidgeted with her hands. "I'm shy around you." She tugged at the paint stained mask around her neck. "This definitely helped."

Clarke released a breathy laugh and stepped forward. "I'm happy you came, Lexa."

Lexa felt her heart grow inside her chest. "Me too." The smile broke across her lips and she took a small step forward. "I am also happy to know that I have a stalker."

"Oh Jesus…" Clarke breathed, placing her hand over her face. "Can you please forget I told you that?"

Lexa reached out and placed her hand on Clarke's wrist, moving her hand from her face. She locked eyes with her. Her hand slid down and her fingers interlocked with Clarke's. "I will on one condition."

Clarke shifted her stare to their hands for a second then returned her focus to Lexa. Her free hand raised and she removed the mask from her face, tossing it on the chair. "What would that be?"

"Hang out with me tomorrow night?" Lexa asked, tugging her a little closer. "We can… Go see a movie or talk. Whatever you want."

Clarke smiled. A bright, beautiful smile that Lexa wanted to see every day for the rest of her existence. "That sounds amazing." Another small step closer brought her within inches of Lexa. "I'd love to."

Lexa flashed a full smile. A real smile. "I'm looking forward to spending time with you, Clarke."

"Me too."

Another moment of silence surrounded them. Clarke stared into Lexa's green eyes. A sudden mischievous glint flashing through the blue. Lexa furrowed her brow in a silent question and the blonde tugged gently on her hands.

"You know what I really want though?" Clarke asked, her thumb brushing against Lexa's.

Lexa regarded her for a moment and shook her head no.

Before she could register what was happening, Clarke pulled her closer and kissed her. Her lips were soft and tasted like vodka mixed with sprite and cider. Lexa's eyes fluttered closed and she fell into the kiss, releasing Clarke's hand. She rested her hand on Clarke's hip and tugged her forward, their bodies flush against on another's. Clarke's hand raised, slipping over her shoulder, fingers brushing against her neck then tangling in her brown hair.

"There you go!"

The girls jumped apart at the sound of cheer. They turned to see Lincoln, his arm draped around Octavia's shoulders, as he smiled proudly at his best friend. Lexa looked down to hide the redness in her cheeks and brushed her thumb against her bottom lip. She could hear Clarke laugh as she rested her hand on Lexa's shoulder.

"Thanks for ruining the moment, Lincoln." Clarke returned as she gave Lexa's shoulder a light squeeze.

Octavia was beaming beside him. "I needed my teammate for glow beer pong." She explained, waving for them to follow. "Come on. Raven and Anya swear they're going to beat us."

Lincoln smirked and winked at Lexa as he and Octavia made their way into the house.

Clarke smiled at Lexa as she wrapped her fingers around Lexa's mask and slid it upward. She placed it back over her eyes. "I don't know how I didn't realize it was you."

Lexa shrugged her shoulder. "It's dark in there."

"Yeah, but I've always loved how green your eyes are." Clarke noted, her fingers brushing against the back of Lexa's neck. She grinned at the shuttered she received from her touch. "I've studied your features so many times. I've even drawn you once or twice…" She closed her eyes and cursed at her own confession.

Lexa flashed a half smirk. "Stalker." She teased, earning a playful shove.

She wrapped her arms around Clarke's waist and pulled her closer. She had never felt this at ease around Clarke. Knowing that her feelings were returned made this so much easier. She felt like she was floating.

"Anyway…" Clarke breathed, rolling her eyes. "Should we pick this up later?" She motioned her head toward the house. "I have to go kick my best friend and her girlfriend's ass at beer pong."

Lexa laughed, cupping Clarke's chin. "Absolutely." She smiled when Clarke leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips.

"Come cheer me on?"

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

A huge smile crossed the blonde's lips as she stepped back from Lexa. She extended her hand which Lexa eagerly accepted. Their fingers intertwined and locked together as they walked back into the house to join the party….


End file.
